ENTERPRISE 05/21/'03: "The Expanse" (1 Viewer)

[Tony Whalen]

Thought this was a good episode... but can we stop using Duras and his family as the quintessential Klingon baddy please?

I'm looking forward to the exploration of "The Expanse". Could be interesting.

So where was T'Pol's new catsuit?

 

[MikeAlletto]

I enjoyed it. I thought the whole "fly the ship in a loop, but we don't know if it will hold together because of all that wind resistance and gravity out there in deep space" was really stupid, but other than that...

So they got photon torpedos, did they get shields also or just upgraded plating?

 

[Tony Whalen]

I *think* they just got upgrades to the plating Mike, but that was a little unclear. Kinda glad they got photons though.

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

I enjoyed it. I thought the whole "fly the ship in a loop, but we don't know if it will hold together because of all that wind resistance and gravity out there in deep space" was really stupid, but other than that...

Ship is travelling forwards at full impulse, which is a fair amount of c; lets's say .45c, which is about as high as you can go without running into nasty relatavistic distortions.

Now, you pull up. You're not worrying about wind shear, or gravity, but the fact that if your structural integrity field so much as flickers, you're all ketchup. Or that your ship might not be able to handle that kind of stress.

And they *were* flying through an incredibly dense nebula, so there'd be particle and micro-meteor impacts a-plenty.

 

[RickGr]

"The main thing that bugged me was how contrived everything was."


Like just about every other TV show on the air..or movie?

 

[PhilipG]

A good episode. Shock! If all season 3's like this one, maybe there's redemption for Enterprise yet. Unfortunately the cynic in me tells me there'll be a very weak episode called "The Expanse II", and then it'll be back to status quo.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

I have one question:

Is there any new blood lined up to add to the writing staff for next year?

 

[Norm]

Are you sure that was a bird of prey? It looked like a different ship to me.

 

[Norm]

Now are they going to rerun the Episodes in the wrong order?

 

[derek]

Very good season 2 finale. We saw the crew in quite different emotional states. Tripp burning with grief and anger. Flox impassioned. Archer brimming with heated determination. T'Pol torn with choice. SFX were excellent and I really dug the shot of Enterprise blowing through the wreckage of the Klingon ship. I saw Berman's quote about analyzing the 'popular' films. Obviously UPN wants a broader audience but I'm hoping they still take the road less traveled in terms of subject and creativity. What you get with the 'Expanse' arc is almost an unlimited pallette to work with. Familiarity with the ST universe can be somewhat dull (seen it before after 30 some years) yet here we have a universe never before explored or experienced. Military force could provide some interesting scenarios (thats the 'new blood.') Plus will we see T'Pol 'loosening' up and expanding her thinking now out from under the weight of obligation to Vulcan high command?

btw I agree we a previous poster the 'probe weapon' was pretty dumb. Either eliminate all of Earth...or postpone. While using the latest James Bond laser ray may look like a nifty gadget (maybe spaced based laser was the only method of penetrating earths defenses anyone know if they have a global defense system?) in my mind it wouldn't be quite as effective as a nuclear global fallout or catastrophic viral contamination (ala crusade.)

 

[Tony Whalen]

Are you sure that was a bird of prey? It looked like a different ship to me.

They *called* it a "Klingon Bird-of-Prey" in the episode, but it didn't look like the movie/TNG bird-of-prey at all...

 

[Shane Archer]

I thought the Season 2 finale was pretty decent. It did feel very rushed, but I'll take that over the slow-moving feel of many of the other Enterprise episodes.

I saw it mentioned that this would alienate the rest of the "real" Trek fans, which I think is kind of funny. I don't think I've ever met a "real" fan that didn't automatically hate just about anything that is done in the Trek universe these days. I've seen everything Trek has ever done, and enjoyed most of it, and yet I don't feel like a "real" fan because I don't seem to complain often enough.

The whole reason Trek got stale in the first place (well, one of the reasons) is that they always followed that same old formula of Federation peace and non-interference and all that. It will be great, I think, to finally see that pro-active stance, even if it is only from one ship out in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Eric F]

It's stale because B&B have no vision. They need fresh meat on the production crew, most importantly good writers.

This was a good Ent episode, but that's not saying much. Hoshi looked very pretty this episode. I haven't been watching much this season- has this been the extent of her role?

 

[Greg_S_H]

I saw it mentioned that this would alienate the rest of the "real" Trek fans, which I think is kind of funny. I don't think I've ever met a "real" fan that didn't automatically hate just about anything that is done in the Trek universe these days. I've seen everything Trek has ever done, and enjoyed most of it, and yet I don't feel like a "real" fan because I don't seem to complain often enough.

That would be me, and I wasn't agreeing with these people, but stating what seems to be a fact: if you have the Battlecruiser Enterprise kicking ass and taking names, a lot of the people who buy into Roddenberry's UN vision of the future will be appalled. I can deal with what Trek has become, but I look forward to seeing this kind of change. I just don't know if B&B have the balls to go all the way. When a small ship fires on the Enterprise, and Archer casually orders it destroyed, we'll know things have really changed.

 

[Norm]

I would expect T'Pol to wear a uniform like the rest of the crew.

 

[Nelson Au]

In regards to the "feel" of this season ender, I thought it had a similar creepy and unsettling feel of Best of Both Worlds. Sort of entering literally into new territory here. Could be good.

T'Pol quiting the Vulcan High Command explains the new "Catsuit". Interesting to see the next starship under construction in space dock. Not sure if I like how agressive Archer is towards the Klingons, of course he had other more pressing issues, so why not blow 'em away. Seems that Archer's name will be the first Quintessential Devil as the Klingon Ambassador called Kirk later on. I guess they forgot about Archer.

Technically this was a very well produced episode. The effects were pretty good.

Nelson

 

[doug zdanivsky]

Yes, the effects were excellent.. Good episode, too. What new catsuit??!

 

[John Swarce]

I think the article in TV Guide said the catsuit was coming next year. I think having her in a uniform would not work as T'Pal is not in Starfleet (yet).

 

[Dan Hitchman]

It looks to me like they are taking parallels to 9/11 and the current Iraq/Middle East situation besides just Star Trek IV and First Contact in order to drum up ratings because of current events (Star Trek ripped from the headlines!).

A "pre-emptive" attack (hitting the U.S. mainly) by an enemy that threatens humanity resulting in a pre-emptive, non-Federation like response by the victim of the attack so that everyone is saved. They even went out of their way to stick a bit of 9/11 sentiments into the plot.

I may not be coming out of left field because the very first villains that Enterprise encountered were the "Suliban." At that time we were attacking the Taliban in Afghanistan. Coincidence, with B&B at the helm, I don't think so...

I also don't think they played up enough of T'Pol's crisis of conscious between supporting the Vulcans and dumping them and risking charges of treason and exile to side with Archer. Another reason why I felt this episode was rushed. For such a monumental shift in priorities and risk factors for the Enterprise crew it didn't seem like there was much character interplay dealing with that. It should have been a two hour "event."

Do you think they will continue this Voyager scenario through to the end of the series, or will this arc be a temporary ratings booster?

Dan

 

[Andrew Beacom]

I also got the vibe that the exploration of the Deplphic Expanse will be a Voyager Redux. And hey theres 7 years of stories to canabalize there.

It was ok although rushed. The whole premise of this new direction requires the viewer to see Enterprise as taking place in a different universe to that of Kirk et al. Maybe that the only way we can look at the show from now on. B&B won't throw the switch at the end and don't give a damn about continuity.